The background information discussed below is presented to better illustrate the novelty and usefulness of the present invention. This background information is not admitted prior art.
Typical road, street, highway or traffic control signs (referred to herein simply as road signs) are comprised of one or more posts carrying a sign plate mounted on the upper end thereof (see FIG. 1a). The sign plate normally carries indicia on one side thereof to convey the sign's meaning or message, with the other side thereof being typically blank and containing no indicia. A sign's indicia may include wording (e.g. “STOP” or “YIELD), a pictorial symbol, a particular colour scheme or a combination thereof. The indicia bearing side will herein be referred to as the road sign's front side while the other side will be referred to as the road sign's rear side.
Road signs are normally arranged or mounted with the sign's front side disposed at right angles to the roadway on which the sign is positioned. The indicia carried on the front side is thus visible to traffic on said roadway so that the sign's message is conveyed or directed to that traffic (referred to herein as primary traffic). Because typical road signs have a sign plate which is generally planar, only the narrow edge of the road sign is visible to traffic which may be operating at right angles to the roadway, or which may be intersecting with the roadway, on which the road sign is placed (see FIGS. 1b and 1c for such side views of a typical road sign). The indicia of the road sign is normally not easily seen by such traffic that is moving at substantially right angles to the roadway, or intersecting with the roadway (such traffic referred to hereinafter as right-angled traffic).
This is has not usually a problem, because different signs may be placed or arranged so as to convey a different meaning to such right-angled traffic. For example, a stop sign may be positioned with the sign's front side disposed at right angles to the roadway which carries the primary traffic that will need to stop at a specific point; e.g. at an intersection. Therefore such primary traffic can clearly see the road sign's indicia and determine the sign's meaning. Right-angled traffic that may approach such intersection, however, may have the right-of-way and will not need to stop at such intersection. Therefore, it is normally not a problem that such right-angled traffic cannot see the indicia of the road sign positioned for the primary traffic.
However, in certain instances, it would be advantageous to have the sign's indicia or message (as directed to the primary traffic) also be visible from the substantially the side and/or to right-angled traffic. For example, in parking lots or at entrance ways to public buildings (such as at hospitals and the like) the roadways are often convoluted, circular, winding and generally unfamiliar. In such cases it would be helpful for right-angled traffic to know what the sign's message was to the primary traffic; for example, so that drivers in such right-angled traffic can determine who has the right-of way in such unfamiliar environment. Likewise, at traffic circles or at rural intersections (where both roads may be gravel) it is difficult to tell who has the right-of-way. In those cases too, it would be advantageous to have the sign's indicia or message (to the primary traffic) also be visible from the side and/or to right-angled traffic.
As mentioned, certain roadways may create uncertainty to a motorist as to who has the right-of-way (e.g. traffic circles or rural intersections). In such cases, a motorist may approach the intersection (wherein he or she may have the right-of-way) too cautiously and too slowly, thereby inadvertently signal to another motorist (who may be facing a yield or stop sign) that it is okay for such other motorist to proceed, when in fact it was not. This confusion (as to whether or not a slow moving right-angled traffic motorist approaching an intersection has the right-of-way) may result in vehicular accidents.
It is therefore desirable to have a road sign that can convey the message of said road sign to right-angled traffic, without giving the impression that the sign's message is also applicable to said right-angled traffic.
There is very little in the prior art to address this need. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,849,816, Locke discloses a traffic control sign with a smaller replica of the sign on top of and perpendicular to the main sign. Traffic approaching perpendicular to the road controlled by the main sign is not expected to respond to the small sign, so the coloring is not standard and indicia may be omitted. Moreover, because this replica is smaller, is not standard and is not positioned at a level where a motorist is conditioned to look for a road sign (because it projects well above the main sign), such a road sign may not be easily seen or interpreted by right-angled traffic.
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,827,715, Thissen discloses a multi-sided hand-held sign which includes two substantially planar panels having a preselected shape interlocking substantially perpendicularly at a common central vertical axis. Indicia typical of signs held by school crossing guards are disposed on all the planar surfaces of the planar sign panels. Although this sign is easily viewable by right-angled traffic (because the interlocking panels are of the same size and all planar surfaces bear the same indicia), the message that will be conveyed to such right-angled traffic will be the same as the message that is conveyed to the primary traffic. As such, motorist in any right-angled traffic may obey the sign's message when, in fact, such motorist need not do so (e.g. he or she has the right-of-way). This is undesirable, when what that is needed is to merely provide information (to motorists in right-angled traffic) as to road sign's message as directed to the primary traffic.
Therefore, what is needed is a road sign, or a road sign attachment, which conveys the sign's message to right-angled traffic, without giving the impression that such message is also applicable to said right-angled traffic. Preferably such road sign, or road sign attachment, is simple in design, may be easily retro-fit to existing road signs and does not have the above-mentioned disadvantages.